DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Objections to Specification: Applicant has amended the title and the objections are withdrawn.
Rejections under 35 USC 112(b): The informalities in claim 18 have been corrected in the amendment. The rejections under 35 USC 112(b) are withdrawn.
Rejections under 35 USC 102/103
Applicant’s Argument: Independent claims have been amended to recite a reference SS set based on which the first monitoring range is determined, and whether subsequent occasions are monitored or skipped. The first monitoring range is not a preconfigured temporal window, but must be anchored to a reference SS set monitoring occasion. Liao describes a valid monitoring window using absolute parameters including start and duration. The amended claims requires that the monitoring range be determined with reference to the position of a monitoring occasion in a designated reference SS set.
Examiner’s Response: Applicant's arguments filed 11/14/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The claim merely recites that the first monitoring range is based on a monitoring occasion corresponding to a reference SS set. The reference SS set may be any SS set configured in Liao. The claimed first monitoring range may be the monitoring occasions of the SS sets (any of which may be reference SS set) within the valid monitoring occasions as configured in ¶0030-31 of Liao, configured by the network, thus the monitoring range is based on the monitoring occasions of these SS sets of the plurality of SS sets. The claim should differentiate the reference SS set from any of the SS sets, and that the monitoring occasions change relative to a reference SS set.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-7, 9, 11, 13-17, 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liao et al. (“Liao”) (US 20210144638 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Liao teaches:
A communication method, applied to a terminal device or a chip of the terminal device, the method [¶0029] comprising:
determining a plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to a first search space (SS) set in a first SS set group [¶0029, UE configured with first search space set of a group of at least two for monitoring PDCCH for detection of DCI, ¶0031 determine monitoring occasions] in an active bandwidth part (BWP) of a first serving cell [¶0035 indicates downlink BWP], wherein the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the first SS set are used by the terminal device to perform physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring [¶0029 “monitoring occasion determination schemes […] search space sets to monitor PDCCH for detection of DCI format 2_6”];
determining a first monitoring range based on a monitoring occasion corresponding to a reference SS set [¶0030, UE configured with starting point and duration of the “Range of monitoring” and ¶0031m considered monitoring occasion “The UE may be configured to determine at least one monitoring occasion of the search space sets for power saving signal according to the starting point and the monitoring duration. For example, as shown in scenario 201, the UE may be configured to determine a first valid monitoring occasion of a search space set” the valid monitoring occasion indicating the range of monitoring as in ¶0032 thus based on the monitoring occasion, and corresponds to SS sets comprising at least a reference SS set as this term is not further defined thus any SS set may be the reference SS],
when the first monitoring occasion corresponding to the first SS set is outside the first monitoring range, determining not to perform PDCCH monitoring on the first monitoring occasion [¶0032 “the UE only need to monitor the power saving signal within the valid monitoring occasions of search space #1 and search space #2. Then, the UE may determine whether to wake up from the power saving mode according to the power saving signal.” Thus UE not monitoring outside of indicated ranges, see further ¶0022 “On the expiry of the inactivity timer, the UE goes back to the sleep mode. The UE will monitor for activity again in next on duration.” And ¶0028 “The UE does not need to monitor all or other monitoring occasions of the configured search space sets. The UE power consumption can be further reduced.”];
and when a second monitoring occasion corresponding to the first SS set is within the first monitoring range, performing PDCCH monitoring on the second monitoring occasion [¶0032 “the UE only need to monitor the power saving signal within the valid monitoring occasions of search space #1 and search space #2. Then, the UE may determine whether to wake up from the power saving mode according to the power saving signal.”], wherein the first monitoring occasion is comprised in the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the first SS set, and the second monitoring occasion is comprised in the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the first SS set [Figure 2, search spaces 1 and 2 comprise multiple monitoring occasions including first (outside of duration) and second (within duration) and only monitor the ones in the duration].
Regarding claims 3-7, 9, see the similar rejections for claims 11-17, 19 which teaches the physical structure performing the corresponding method.
Regarding claim 11, Liao teaches:
An apparatus comprising: at least one processor coupled with at least one memory; wherein computer instructions in the at least one memory are executed by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus perform a method of: [¶0029]
determining a plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to a first search space (SS) set in a first SS set group [¶0029, Figure 2, UE configured with first search space set of a group of at least two for monitoring PDCCH for detection of DCI, ¶0031 determine monitoring occasions] in an active bandwidth part (BWP) of a first serving cell [¶0035 indicates downlink BWP], wherein the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the first SS set are used by the terminal device to perform physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring [¶0029 “monitoring occasion determination schemes […] search space sets to monitor PDCCH for detection of DCI format 2_6”];
determining a first monitoring range based on a monitoring occasion corresponding to a reference SS set [¶0030, UE configured with starting point and duration of the “Range of monitoring” and ¶0031 “The UE may be configured to determine at least one monitoring occasion of the search space sets for power saving signal according to the starting point and the monitoring duration. For example, as shown in scenario 201, the UE may be configured to determine a first valid monitoring occasion of a search space set” the valid monitoring occasion indicating the range of monitoring as in ¶0032 thus based on the monitoring occasion, and corresponds to SS sets comprising at least a reference SS set as this term is not further defined thus any SS set may be the reference SS],
when a first monitoring occasion corresponding to the first SS set is outside a first monitoring range, determining not to perform PDCCH monitoring on the first monitoring occasion [¶0030, UE configured with starting point and duration of the “Range of monitoring” and ¶0032 “the UE only need to monitor the power saving signal within the valid monitoring occasions of search space #1 and search space #2. Then, the UE may determine whether to wake up from the power saving mode according to the power saving signal.” Thus UE not monitoring outside of indicated ranges, see further ¶0022 “On the expiry of the inactivity timer, the UE goes back to the sleep mode. The UE will monitor for activity again in next on duration.” And ¶0028 “The UE does not need to monitor all or other monitoring occasions of the configured search space sets. The UE power consumption can be further reduced.”];
and when a second monitoring occasion corresponding to the first SS set is within the first monitoring range, performing PDCCH monitoring on the second monitoring occasion [¶0030, UE configured with starting point and duration of the “Range of monitoring” and ¶0032 “the UE only need to monitor the power saving signal within the valid monitoring occasions of search space #1 and search space #2. Then, the UE may determine whether to wake up from the power saving mode according to the power saving signal.”], wherein the first monitoring occasion is comprised in the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the first SS set, and the second monitoring occasion is comprised in the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the first SS set [Figure 2, search spaces 1 and 2 comprise multiple monitoring occasions including first (outside of duration) and second (within duration) and only monitor the ones in the duration].
Regarding claim 13, Liao teaches:
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the reference SS set is configured by a network device [¶0029-30, UE signaled with starting point and duration corresponding to “Range of monitoring” from the network for SS sets (reference SS) configured ¶0029].
Regarding claim 14, Liao teaches:
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when the first SS set group comprises a plurality of SS sets [¶0031 search space sets, see Figure 2 multiple SS sets], the plurality of SS sets comprise the first SS set [figure 2 shows first set, ¶0030-31]; and the reference SS set is determined based on configuration parameters corresponding to the plurality of SS sets [¶0030-31 configuration parameters signaled with duration and starting to determine reference SS set], and the configuration parameter comprises at least one of the following: a PDCCH monitoring periodicity, a PDCCH monitoring pattern within a slot, duration [¶0030-31 signaled a duration within slot], and an SS set index; or when the first serving cell belongs to a first serving cell group, the reference SS set is determined based on a configuration parameter corresponding to an SS set that is in a monitoring state and that is in an active BWP of a reference serving cell in the first serving cell group, and the configuration parameter comprises at least one of the following: a PDCCH monitoring periodicity, a PDCCH monitoring pattern within a slot, duration, and an SS set index; or when the first serving cell belongs to a first serving cell group, the reference SS set is all SS sets that are in a monitoring state and that are in an active BWP of a reference serving cell in the first serving cell; or when the first serving cell belongs to a first serving cell group, the reference SS set is determined based on a configuration parameter corresponding to an SS set that is in a monitoring state and that is in an active BWP of an active serving cell in the first serving cell group, and the configuration parameter comprises at least one of the following: a PDCCH monitoring periodicity, a PDCCH monitoring pattern within a slot, duration, and an SS set index [the remaining options do not have patentable weight as they are alternative options based on the recitation of “or”].
Regarding claim 15, Liao teaches:
The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the reference serving cell is configured by a network device [Examiner notes that this limitation does not have patentable weight as it refers to the reference serving cell of claim 14 which is recited as an option in a group of exclusive options. The prior art is applied to reject the “duration” limitation and thus any limitation pertaining to the reference serving cell is a contingent limitation with no patentable weight].
Regarding claim 16, Liao teaches:
The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the reference serving cell is determined based on a parameter of the active serving cell in the first serving cell group, and the parameter comprises at least one of the following: a subcarrier spacing SCS of an active BWP of the serving cell and an index of the serving cell; or the parameter comprises at least one of the following: SCSs of an active BWP and an inactive BWP of the serving cell, and an index of the serving cell; or the reference serving cell is determined based on parameters of the active serving cell and an inactive serving cell in the first serving cell group, and the parameter comprises at least one of the following: SCSs of an active BWP and an inactive BWP of the serving cell, and an index of the serving cell [Examiner notes that this limitation does not have patentable weight as it refers to the reference serving cell of claim 14 which is recited as an option in a group of exclusive options. The prior art is applied to reject the “duration” limitation and thus any limitation pertaining to the reference serving cell is a contingent limitation with no patentable weight].
Regarding claim 17, Liao teaches:
The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first monitoring range is: a symbol on which the monitoring occasion corresponding to the reference SS set is located [¶0029-30, duration for monitoring range includes symbols, “The monitoring occasion may comprise slots/symbols for PDCCH monitoring.”]; or a slot in which the monitoring occasion corresponding to the reference SS set is located; or a symbol on which the monitoring occasion corresponding to the reference SS set is located and a first specified quantity of adjacent symbols; or a slot in which the monitoring occasion corresponding to the reference SS set is located and a second specified quantity of adjacent slots; or a symbol on which the monitoring occasion corresponding to the reference SS set is located and adjacent first specified duration; or a slot in which the monitoring occasion corresponding to the reference SS set is located and adjacent second specified duration.
Regarding claim 19, Liao teaches:
The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: receiving a first indication from the network device, wherein the first indication indicates not to perform PDCCH monitoring on the first monitoring occasion [¶0031 valid search space determined by starting point and duration, thus corresponding to an indication that any monitoring occasions outside of the “valid” duration is invalid and thus not to be monitored by the UE for power saving].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 8, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao et al. (“Liao”) (US 20210144638 A1) in view of Nam et al. (“Nam”) (US 20190349806 A1).
Regarding claim 18, Liao teaches:
The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising for a second duration,
determining a plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to a second SS set in a second SS set group in an active BWP [¶0029, UE configured with first search space set of a group of at least two for monitoring PDCCH for detection of DCI, ¶0031 determine monitoring occasions which may correspond to the second SS set, BWP taught in ¶0035], wherein the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the second SS set are used by the terminal device to perform PDCCH monitoring [¶0029 “monitoring occasion determination schemes […] search space sets to monitor PDCCH for detection of DCI format 2_6”]; when a third monitoring occasion corresponding to the second SS set is outside the first monitoring range, determining not to perform PDCCH monitoring on the third monitoring occasion [¶0030, UE configured with starting point and duration of the “Range of monitoring” and ¶0032 “the UE only need to monitor the power saving signal within the valid monitoring occasions of search space #1 and search space #2. Then, the UE may determine whether to wake up from the power saving mode according to the power saving signal.” Thus UE not monitoring outside of indicated ranges, see further ¶0022 “On the expiry of the inactivity timer, the UE goes back to the sleep mode. The UE will monitor for activity again in next on duration.” And ¶0028 “The UE does not need to monitor all or other monitoring occasions of the configured search space sets. The UE power consumption can be further reduced.”]; and when a fourth monitoring occasion corresponding to the second SS set is within the first monitoring range, performing PDCCH monitoring on the fourth monitoring occasion [¶0030, UE configured with starting point and duration of the “Range of monitoring” being the taught valid monitoring occasions and ¶0032 “the UE only need to monitor the power saving signal within the valid monitoring occasions of search space #1 and search space #2. Then, the UE may determine whether to wake up from the power saving mode according to the power saving signal.”], wherein the third monitoring occasion is comprised in the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the second SS set, and the fourth monitoring occasion is comprised in the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the second SS set [Figure 2, search spaces 1 and 2 comprise multiple monitoring occasions including first (outside of duration) and second (within duration) and only monitor the ones in the duration].
Liao teaches the process of monitoring certain monitoring occasions but not occasions outside of a configured range but does not teach this would apply to a second cell.
Nam teaches wherein when the first serving cell belongs to the first serving cell group [¶0122 monitoring occasions may be activated for SCells corresponding to first serving cell group], and the first serving cell group further comprises a second serving cell [¶0122 SCell], the method further comprising: determining a plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to a second SS set in a second SS set group in an active BWP [Figure 3 shows bandwidth parts] of the second serving cell [Figure 3 shows SCCs], wherein the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the second SS set are used by the terminal device to perform PDCCH monitoring [¶0127, configure by network the control channel monitoring set as being a subset of SS sets in the Scell, activated and configured by network]; when a third monitoring occasion corresponding to the second SS set is outside the first monitoring range, determining not to perform PDCCH monitoring on the third monitoring occasion [¶0127-128 monitor subset of SS sets, thus not monitoring the PDCCH in SSs outside of the range being the subset]; and when a fourth monitoring occasion corresponding to the second SS set is within the first monitoring range, performing PDCCH monitoring on the fourth monitoring occasion [¶0127-128 monitor subset of SS sets, thus not monitoring the PDCCH in SSs outside of the range being the subset], wherein the third monitoring occasion is comprised in the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the second SS set, and the fourth monitoring occasion is comprised in the plurality of monitoring occasions corresponding to the second SS set [¶0127 monitor subset of SS sets, the subset SSs being within a larger SS comprising the third and fourth monitoring occasions].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify a secondary cell that implements the power saving monitoring range. Liao teaches the SS set with a monitoring range with the SS set, and it would have been obvious to specify a secondary cell that implements this same monitoring procedure as in Nam “to support a user equipment's (UE's) power saving operations by the base station dynamically changing and indicating the number of control channel monitoring set (e.g., comprising control resource set (coreset)(s), search space (SS) set(s), component carrier(s) (CC)(s), and the like) that a UE can monitor for control information” see ¶0006.
Regarding claims 8, see the similar rejections for claims 18 which teaches the physical structure performing the corresponding method.
Claim(s) 10, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao et al. (“Liao”) (US 20210144638 A1) in view of Zhou et al. (“Zhou”) (WO 2021067703 A1).
Regarding claim 20, Liao teaches The apparatus according to claim 11.
Liao teaches receiving the monitoring range information but does not teach a second indication.
Zhou teaches further comprising: receiving a second indication from the network device, and performing PDCCH monitoring based on the second indication and a third SS set group, wherein the second indication indicates the terminal device to perform SS set group switching on an active BWP of a serving cell in which DCI is located; and the DCI carries the second indication, and the first serving cell is the serving cell in which the DCI is located [¶0276, DCI received with a PS indication, corresponding to second indication, “In an example, based on a PS indication in the DCI, the wireless device may switch from first SS(s) to second SS(s) for PDCCH monitoring on the BWP” the second SS(s) corresponding to a third SS set group within the active BWP, ¶0260 DCI detected on serving cell]; or the second indication indicates the terminal device to perform SS set group switching on an active BWP of a serving cell in which a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) scheduled by using DCI is located; and the DCI carries the second indication, and the first serving cell is the serving cell in which the PDSCH or the PUSCH scheduled by using the DCI is located; or when the first serving cell belongs to the first serving cell group, the second indication indicates the terminal device to perform SS set group switching on an active BWP of a serving cell group in which DCI is located; and the DCI carries the second indication, and the first serving cell group is the serving cell group in which the DCI is located; or when the first serving cell belongs to the first serving cell group, the second indication indicates the terminal device to perform SS set group switching on an active BWP of a serving cell group in which a PDSCH or a PUSCH scheduled by using DCI is located; and the DCI carries the second indication, and the first serving cell group is the serving cell group in which the PDSCH or the PUSCH scheduled by using the DCI is located; or the second indication comprises at least one field, and each field corresponds to one serving cell; and each field indicates the terminal device to perform SS set group switching on an active BWP of the corresponding serving cell; or the second indication comprises at least one field, and each field corresponds to one serving cell group; and each field indicates the terminal device to perform SS set group switching on an active BWP of the corresponding serving cell group.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify the use of a second signaling for switching from the SS as disclosed in Liao to e.g. a second SS on a BWP as in Zhou “for the purpose of power saving” as in ¶0274.
Regarding claims 10 see the similar rejections for claims 20 which teaches the physical structure performing the corresponding method.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/JAY L VOGEL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478